Carmel vs North Salinas 2024

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By John Devine | [email protected] | Monterey Herald

CARMEL — No one has referred to it as unfinished business.

Yet, dampening last year’s 10-0 regular season for Carmel was a loss in the opening round of the playoffs to an eventual state high school football champion.

While the playoffs are still three weeks away — and there are priorities in Carmel’s path over the next two weeks, including the annual Shoe Game against Pacific Grove — the regular season has felt like a run at redemption.

“Last year was bittersweet,” Carmel coach Golden Anderson said. “You tip your cap to losing to a state champion. We were proud of how we played. But we felt we let an opportunity slip away. We don’t hold grudges, But I know these guys have good memories.”

The Padres established a school record for consecutive regular season wins Saturday with their 20th straight, deflating North Salinas 43-27.

“We weren’t tearing down the goalposts after the game,” Anderson said. “But it starts with standards and expectations. We’re always chasing perfection. The reality is you’re going to finish your season with a loss unless you don’t make the playoffs.”

Anderson, who is in his 15th season as head coach, has coaches on his staff who played at Carmel that remember the lean years when the program struggled to fill out a roster and compete.

“Some of the guys on this staff didn’t win anything,” said Anderson, a former quarterback at Carmel in the mid-1990s. “It hasn’t always been like this. To see the pride in the alumni is what makes these kids feel proud of what they’ve accomplished.”

Billed as the battle of unbeatens in the Mission Division South, that is where the similarities ended as the Padres continued their reign of supremacy.

During its 20-game regular season winning streak, Carmel (8-0) has averaged 46.5 points a game — one of the highest scoring totals in the state over that same time frame.

“There’s a core that have been up here for three years,” Anderson said. “With this being senior day, it was a little emotional. We don’t know if we’ll get another game on campus.”

The Padres last scheduled home game is against Pacific Grove, which will be played at Monterey Peninsula College. Because of its lack of seating on the visiting side at Carmel, any playoff game that it’s slated to host will likely be moved to MPC or another venue in the area.

“Let’s just get through the next two games,” Anderson said. “The good news is we clinched a playoff spot today.”

The Padres dropped 14 points on North Salinas before it had settled in and built a 37-6 halftime lead on the strength of quarterback Hudson Rutherford.

The senior tossed three touchdown passes, connecting with Ty Arnold on scoring tosses of 75 and 15 yards, while finding Simeon Brown for six.

Ashton Rees found the end zone three more times, returning a punt 77 yards for six, while taking the direct snap from center for a pair of rushing touchdowns.

Rees has rushed for 28 touchdowns in his last 19 games for Carmel, while Rutherford has 20 touchdown passes this fall.

“I think we were a little shell shocked in the first half,” North Salinas coach Ben Ceradle said. “That took over. The message at halftime was why can’t we do what they do? What do we have left inside? How are we going to finish this game?”

Staring at a 29-point halftime deficit, the Vikings played with nothing to lose in the third quarter, outscoring Carmel 21-0.

Quarterback Izaiah Gonzales had two of his three touchdown runs in the third quarter, while Jason Valencia blocked a punt and returned it 30 yards for six, getting North Salinas to within nine points.

“We got some confidence with that blocked punt,” Ceralde said. “It was more like we’re not going to give up. These are building blocks going forward. I don’t know if they (Carmel) even practice punting.”

The Padres, though, regrouped, controlling the fourth quarter and added an insurance touchdown in taking a step closer to repeating as Mission Division South champions.

“We had some adversity in the third quarter,” said Anderson, who is one win away from a 10th league title in 15 years. “I was proud of how we responded.”